Introducing US

Team NUST is a student run car manufacturing society that designs and fabricates fuel efficient cars in order to participate in Shell Eco Marathon Asia (SEMA) each year. Days and nights aren’t defined for those of us who’re in the team. If anyone’s looking for us, stop by at the lab at 4am, or check up on us at 2pm, you’ll find us there, some lying on the couch to get a few minutes of sleep while and some trying to clean the exterior of the car spic and span just before the arrival of the inspection team or for the departure of the car to its Roadshow destination. We run short on time almost on a daily basis, but we’re fond of it. We have realized that all that we require is team work and dedication to pull off anything that comes in our way.

Team work, dedication, motivation and enthusiasm. These perfect ingredients make us who we are and how we operate as a team. Our talented minds are chosen through tough selection processes. During these months, where work needs to be juggled with the daily routine, which of course includes the somewhat non-existent study schedule and the much needed social life that we crave for, it does get a little challenging. But having mentioned above, we’re a bunch of perfectionist motivated souls. And believe me, that is certainly necessary for the constant progress of the team.

Our team consists of typical engineers, hard core geeks, the faces’ and a team of uncompromising heads. The engineers, also known as the very valuable members from the Technical Department’, are responsible for the construction of the car within the designated deadline. The problems that they go through are beyond our imagination. Honestly, who could have imagined an engine turning out to be bigger than the body? Or the accidental mix up of parts at the online store? Well, the Technical Team did. It requires hours of denial, leading to insomnia, leading to acceptance, leading to light-bulb moments. Improvisation has become a norm to them. Problems arise every now and then, but they’re all successfully resolved.

The geeks, known as the members from the Research Department’, are responsible for the Research and Development of the car, as the name suggests. Now these members aren’t just any geeks, they’re the purest form you can find on campus. They maintain a constant 4.0 GPA and provide their services to the fullest. For them, Mathematics and Engineering is a language rather than a subject. Anyone who spends a little time with these members feels a gush of intimidation, but since we know we’re perfect for the position we’re at, we don’t mind it at all. After months of research and days of constant thought process, ideas start flowing in and are finally put forward in front of the team. The most feasible ones which can be achieved in a year’s time are selected while the rest are preserved for the following year.

The marketing and communication members are known as the faces of the team. While the team works in the background, it is these members who run around from one corporate office to the next, trying to fetch sponsors for the team and the car. Some of our calls are ignored while some are accidentally’ dropped just before handing the phone over to the marketing head. (Not that we mean ill for anyone, but Karma awaits them) The moment of joy it brings us when a number of unsuccessful calls finally lead to a winner, is just priceless. A ray of hope shines upon us when a company calls us and asks us to set up a meeting. The engineer cum marketing professionals prove they’re made for every job. There is no job that is out of bounds for us. That’s just not it. We bring out the team for the world to see. From enlightening young school going students with the knowledge we’ve gained so far, to presenting the car to the general public at malls, we do it all. Not to forget the heads who keep us motivated and push us to work harder and test our limits, they’re the ones who guide us through these phases time and time again.